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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Tennessee
No. 13 Soccer Hosts Tennessee on Friday Night
9/29/2022 | Soccer
Rebels Seek to Stay Undefeated in Conference Play
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NO. 13 OLE MISS (9-0-2, 3-0-0 SEC) vs. Tennessee (6-3-1, 2-1-0 SEC) Friday, Sept. 30 • 7 p.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. Ole Miss Soccer Stadium  |
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| WATCH • LIVE STATS OLE MISS NOTES (PDF) • TENNESSEE NOTES (PDF) • SEC NOTES (PDF) |
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QUICK KICKS
• Ole Miss shutout Florida and Auburn, 1-0, to stay undefeated and at the top of the SEC standings.
• Ole Miss' 9-0-2 record to begin the season is the best 11 game start in school history, according to win percentage.
• The Rebels won their first three SEC games of the season for the first time in the program's history.
• The Rebels host Tennessee on Friday for their lone game of the weekend. The match is set to start at 7 p.m. CT.
• Ole Miss is down in the all-time series against Tennessee with a 4-17-2 record. The teams will meet in Ole Miss for the third time in a row.
• Taylor Radecki's eight assists set a career season high and has her second in the nation behind Alabama's Felicia Knox. Radecki's 0.73 assists per game is top-10 in the nation.
• Senior Ashley Orkus tallied her seventh and eighth shutouts this past week. The eight shutouts are a career season high.
• Orkus moved into second place on Ole Miss' all-time saves and wins list with 282 saves and keeper wins with 41.
• Ole Miss ranks first in the nation in goals against average of 0.273 and top-5 in shutout and save percentage.
• Ole Miss remain steady at 13th in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll. The Rebels are in the top-10 on TopDrawerSoccer.com and College Soccer News.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE
After coaching as an assistant on the Tennessee sideline since 2007, Joe Kirt started his first season as the head coach of the Lady Vols. During his 15 seasons as an assistant coach, Kirt helped guide Tennessee to two SEC Tournament championships, two SEC Eastern Division championships and seven NCAA Tournament appearances.
He and the Lady Vols are off to a great start with a 6-3-1 record and 2-1 SEC record. Tennessee defeated Florida and Kentucky but dropped a game to No. 6 Alabama. The Lady Vols have taken on four ranked opponents, including, No. 3 North Carolina, No. 4 Duke, No. 5 Alabama and No. 24 Southern Methodist University. They will face another ranked team in Ole Miss on Friday.
The Tennessee offense is impressive, scoring a total of 33 goals in 10 games. The Lady Vols are ranked fifth in total goals and fourth in scoring offense. The offensive scoring is led by redshirt junior forward Jaida Thomas, compiling nine goals and two assists. Thomas has two braces in wins over Bowling Green and Kennesaw State. Sophomore Taylor Huff is responsible for three goals along with leading the team with five assists. As a whole, 12 players have at least one goal, eight have multiple and three have four or more.
The defense also contributes to offensive success. Defenders Maria Nelson and Hannah Zaluski each have three assists. Tennessee's keeper Lindsey Romig has started the last eight games, compiling 28 saves and a 1.35 goals against average.
SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss is down in the all-time series against Tennessee, holding a 4-17-2 record when playing the Lady Vols. The Rebels and the Lady Vols met up last season in the SEC Tournament, No. 10 Tennessee came away with a narrow 3-2 victory. This meeting will be the first time in the last three matchups, the Rebels will play an unranked Lady Vols team.
PREVIOUS GAME (9/3/17)
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – No. 21 Ole Miss (12-5-3) battled all night in a topsy, turvy match against No. 10 Tennessee (17-2) on Thursday, dropping a thrilling 3-2 match in the semifinals of the 2021 SEC Tournament.
With a stiff wind at their back, the Rebels were relegated to hunkering down on defense in the first half. After weathering a few chances, Ole Miss failed to deal with a ball in the box and paid the price as Jaida Thomas poked home a rebound to grab the lead.
From there, it was survival mode for the Rebels and Tennessee racked up 12 shots in the opening 45 minutes. However, Ole Miss hung on, keeping the deficit to a single goal going into the break.
Looking to bounce back with the wind its favor, Ole Miss immediately equalized as UT was called for handling inside the box. Channing Foster stepped up to the spot and sent the keeper the wrong way, scoring the equalizer just 16 seconds into the second half.
A few minutes later, Haleigh Stackpole had a look at the lead from the top of the box. The senior hit the ball well but it was too close to UT keeper Lindsey Romig, who made the catch.
Tennessee began to regain momentum as the half wore on and in the 70th minute, Thomas struck again, squeezing a shot inside the near post to push Tennessee back ahead 2-1.
The Rebels stayed in the fight and in the 76th minute, scored again to lock the score back up at two goals apiece. Stackpole's corner delivery went all the way through and Taylor Radecki rifled a ball across the face of goal, finding Saydie Holland, who punched it in for her first goal of the season.
Unfortunately, heartbreak struck as Tennessee regained the lead on an own goal in the 86th minute, ending the Rebels' run in Orange Beach.
CAN'T TAKE THE HEAT
The Rebels have threatened in the opponent's eighteen box all season long. When Ole Miss possesses the ball, the Rebels are in the opposing box on average 38 percent of the time. The team has controlled the ball in the attacking third over 40 percent of the game in seven of its 11 games and one with 38 percent possession.
Overall, Ole Miss possesses the ball over 50 percent per game. The team has held the ball over 50 percent of the time in six of its games, including two games above 60 percent.
BREAKING RECORDS
Ole Miss continues to break program records. Ole Miss' 9-0-2 record is the best start by win percentage in school history. The Rebels' record is tied for the best in the SEC and fourth in the nation. Ashley Orkus also moved ahead of Marnie Merritt for second most goalkeeper wins at 41 and saves at 282.
The Rebels are also 3-0 in SEC games for the first time in program history.
SEPTEMBER TO REMEMBER
The Rebels have excelled in the month of September the last four season. Since 2019, Ole Miss is 17-4-4 in the month of September, including a 6-0-1 record this season.
Friday's game against Tennessee is the final game of September. Tennessee holds a 5-1-0 record this month.
NO FLY ZONE
Opposing teams have managed three goals against Ole Miss' defense through 11 games due in large part to eight clean sheets. The programs fewest goals allowed in a season was 13 in 2005 when the team went 13-6-2. Just two years ago, Ole Miss allowed the third lowest goals with 18.
If the Rebels stay on this pace, they could break the 13 goals allowed in a season mark.
SECOND HALF SURGE
In two wins 1-0 wins over Florida and Auburn, the Rebels scored a game-winning goal early in the second half. Ole Miss received a corner kick opportunity six minutes into the second half of the Florida game. Taylor Radecki's corner bounced off the Florida keeper, giving O'Connor the chance to poke the ball into the goal.
The Rebels took four shots in the first 12 minutes of the second half against Auburn. The fourth shot, by Marykate McGuire, found the back of the net.
TRANSFER SUCCESS
The Rebels signed six transfers during the offseason, which is the second most in the SEC. Four start for Ole Miss, which is second-most in the SEC and tied fourth in the nation. Marykate McGuire leads the way with six goals along with four assists.
SYD VICIOUS
Picking a ball off near midfield, 6th-year senior defender Sydney Michalak made a dazzling run before firing into the back of the net for Ole Miss' second goal against Memphis. It was Michalak's first goal since her collegiate debut in 2018, still playing as a forward at that time. The Rebel left back also helped Ole Miss lock up a pair of clean sheets during the week. For her efforts, Michalak was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week.
GETTING DUSTY IN HERE
While the first goal of any season is a special one, the Rebels' opening tally of the 2022 season came with a little extra meaning. Fourteen minutes into the match, redshirt-freshman Lauren Montgomery cleaned up a Mo O'Connor rebound and slid the ball under the keeper for her first collegiate goal, coming just over a year after tearing her ACL during the 2021 preseason and missing her true freshman campaign.
IT JUST MEANS MO'
When the lights shine brightest, Rebel striker Mo O'Connor steps her game up to another level. Of O'Connor's 18 career goals, nine have come against conference opposition, including five of seven goals in 2021. O'Connor's five goals in league play last season were tied for the most in the conference.
BEEN AROUND THE BLOCK
In his 13th season at the helm of the Ole Miss program, Matt Mott is the fourth-longest tenured head coach in the SEC. Mott is also the third-longest tenured head coach active at Ole Miss.
SEC's Longest Tenured Head Coaches
1. G Guerreiri (Texas A&M) - 29 seasons
2. Karen Hoppa (Auburn) - 24 seasons
3. Shelley Smith (South Carolina) - 22 seasons
4. Matt Mott (Ole Miss) - 13 seasons
5. Colby Hale (Arkansas) - 11 seasons
BIG SHOES TO FILL
With the departure of star players like Channing Foster, Haleigh Stackpole and Molly Martin, Ole Miss will have plenty of firepower to replace in 2022. Foster finished her career with 44 goals, tied for the second most in program history, while Stackpole's 31 career assists rank third all-time at Ole Miss, including 16 assists in 2021 alone. Meanwhile, Martin and her aerial threat led the Rebels with 10 goals a season ago. Overall, Ole Miss will need to replace 25-of-36 goals (69.4%), 23-of-44 assists (52.3%) and 73-of-116 points (62.9%) from the 2021 season.
G.O.A.T.
Entering her fourth season between the posts for the Rebels, goalkeeper Ashley Orkus sits near the top in the Ole Miss record books in several statistical categories. Below is a breakdown of Orkus' approach of program-records:
GOALKEEPER SAVES
1. Kelly McCormick (2011-2014) - 297
2. Ashley Orkus (2018-pres.) - 282
3. Marnie Merritt (2014-18) - 277
4. Melinda Smith (1998-2001) - 232
GOALKEEPER WINS
1. Kelly McCormick (2011-2014) - 42
2. Ashley Orkus (2018-pres.) - 41
3. Marnie Merritt (2014-18) - 40
4. Brittany Gillespie (2000-03) - 32
SHUTOUTS
1. Ashley Orkus (2018-pres.) - 26
2. Kelly McCormick (2011-2014) - 22
3. Brittany Gillespie (2000-03) - 22
4. Marnie Merritt (2014-18) - 21
5. Ann Shelton (2004-07) - 18
DANCING QUEENS
Ole Miss is one of five SEC teams to receive a bid at least five of the last seven seasons (Arkansas, Auburn, South Carolina, Texas A&M) and also one of five SEC teams to make four of the last five NCAA Tournaments.
POLL POSITION
For the second consecutive year, Ole Miss was ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, coming in at No. 18. The Rebels were slotted at No. 23 in the 2021 preseason poll. Prior to last season, Ole Miss had never been ranked in the preseason by the United Soccer Coaches. The Rebels are one of four SEC teams ranked in the 2022 iteration of the poll, joining Arkansas, Tennessee and South Carolina.
BEST OF THE BEST
Ole Miss keeper Ashley Orkus was named to the 2022 TopDrawerSoccer.com Preseason Best XI First Team. It is the second consecutive year that the two-time defending SEC Goalkeeper of the Year has been named to the first team. Orkus has also received postseason Best XI honors from TopDrawerSoccer the last two seasons, earning a first team nod in 2020 and landing on the third team in 2021.
Orkus was also selected to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List for the third consecutive year. The senior was the only goalkeeper among the group of 15 players named a semifinalist for the 2021 edition of college soccer's top individual honor.
FOLLOW THE REBS!
Fans can keep up with all the goings on around the Ole Miss soccer program by following the Rebels on the team's various social media platforms. You can find the Rebs on Twitter at @OleMissSoccer, on Instagram at @OfficialOleMissSoccer or on Facebook by search "Ole Miss Soccer". Fans can also now follow Ole Miss on TikTok at @OleMissWSoccer.
